Dispenser for toilet paper



Nov. 8, 1966 R. awnssms ETAL 3,284,014

DISPENSER FOR TOILET PAPER Filed March 11, 1965 United States Patent Ofihce 3,Z84,-l4 Patented Nov. 8', 1966 3,284,014 DISPENSER FOR TOILET PAPER Robert B. Wiggins and Bernard A. Dahlin, both of Green Bay, Wis., assignors to Fort Howard Paper Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Mar. 11', 1965, Ser. No. 438,925 Claims. (CI. 242-5553) This invention relates to a dispenser and more par ticularly to a dispenser for toilet paper.

It is the general object of the present invention to produce a new and improved dispenser for toilet paper of the charatcer described.

It is a more specific object of the invention to'provide a dispenser for toilet paper capable of carrying at least two rolls of toilet tissue, one of such rolls, when in dispensing position, being accessible for use and the other of such rolls being readily movable into dispensing position when the first roll has been exhausted.

The use of toilet paper dispensers carrying a roll accessible for use and a spare roll immediately available upon the first roll becoming exhausted has become more and more common, particularly in lavatories available to the public, such as in hotels and restaurants, in order to assure a constant supply of toilet tissue. For this purpose the arrangement should preferably be one where a fresh roll of toilet tissue can be inserted without disturbing the roll presently in use and, obviously, the mechanical arrangement should be such as can easily be operated by the user of the facilities. For this latter purpose, a very simple device is to be preferred,

According to the present invention, there is provided a dispenser which, when one roll has been exhausted, can simply and easily be operated to bring a fresh roll into dispensing position and a replacement roll can be added without disturbing the roll then occupying the dis pensing position.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a dispenser embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of certain internal portions of the apparatus.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a container having in the interior thereof a closed compartment 11 and a second compartment 12 having an opening 13 therein in order to permit the withdrawal of toilet tissue therefrom, the opening comprising the omission of the bottom portion of the compartment 12.

Extending transversely between the compartments 11 and 12 is a rotatably mounted shaft 14, rotation being accomplished by manual rotation of a knob 15 mounted on the end of the shaft and positioned on the exterior of the container 10. Secured to the shaft 14 is a hub 16 carrying a pair of carriers for toilet tissue rolls in the form of bars 17 and 18 extending outwardly at right I angles to the axis of the shaft 14. At the inner ends of the bars 17 and 18 and closely adjacent the hub 16 is a pair of cylinders 19 and 20 having an' outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the toilet tissue roll, and thus the cylinders are adapted to receive and support the inner ends of such rolls in the manner shown in the drawings.

At the outer end of each of the bars 17 and 18 there is formed integral finger portions 21 and 22 which are utilized to hold the toilet paper roll carriers in operable position during periods of use. For this purpose there is provided on the end wall of the compartment 12 a spring clip 23 having a notch 24 therein positioned to engage the finger formed on the end of the carrier bars. The spring clip is provided with a portion 25' accessible through the opening 13 to releasethe spring clip and thus release the engaged finger therefrom.

Initially, the dispenser is loaded with two rolls of toilet tissue, one on each of the bars 17 and 18. Tissue is dispensed from the roll located in. the dispensing compartment 12. When this roll has been exhausted, finger pressure on the release portion 25 of the spring clip 23 will permit the user to rotate the knob 15, thereby swinging the roll previously located in the compartment 11 through degrees of movement to position it in the compartment 12 where the finger portion on the carrier is again engaged by the spring clip to hold the roll in proper position. As the knob 15 and hence the shaft 14 is rotated, the carrier on which the exhausted roll had been located is swung in a clockwise fashion as viewed in FIG. 2 and as it extends out of the bottom of the opening, the cardboard core of the center of the roll may be removed so that the then empty arm can swing through the slit 26 provided in the bottom of the compartment 11 and thence into the closed compartment. Subsequently, the access door provided in the end wall of the closed compartment 11 may be opened by an at tendant and a fresh roll inserted upon the bar located therein for subsequent use.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the operation of the dispenser is exceedingly simple, it being necessary only to release the spring clip and rotate the knob, and instructions for such operation can readily be displayed on the exposed face of the container. Furthermore, it will be seen that replenishment of exhausted rolls is easily done without disturbing the roll located in the dispensing position.

We claim:

1. A dispenser for toilet paper comprising, a container having a pair of compartments therein each of sufficient size to receive a roll of toilet paper, one of said compartments having an opening therein to permit withdrawal of toilet paper therefrom, a shaft movably mounted in the container, a pair of toilet paper roll carriers connected to the shaft and arranged to be moved from one compartment to the other with movement of the shaft whereby a roll of toilet paper carried by one of the carriers can be moved into the compartment having the opening therein with movement of the shaft, and means operable from outside the container for moving the shaft.

2. A dispenser for toilet paper comprising, a generally rectangular container having a pair of compartments therein, each of said compartments being of sufiicient size to receive a roll of toilet paper, one of said compartments being closed and the other having an open bottom, a shaft rotatably mounted in the container and extending transversely thereof between the compartments, a pair of toilet paper roll carriers mounted on the shaft and extending substantially normally thereof to be swung from one compartment to the other with rotation of the shaft, whereby a roll of toilet paper carried by one of the carriers can be moved into the compartment having the opening therein with movement of the .shaft, and means operable from outside the container for moving the shaft.

3. A dispenser for toilet paper comprising, a generally rectangular container having a pair of compartments therein, each of said compartments being of sufiicient size to receive a roll of toilet paper, one of said compartments being closed and the other having an open bottom, a shaft rotatably mounted in the container and extending transversely thereof between the compartments, a pair of toilet paper roll carriers mounted on the shaft and extending substantially normally thereof to be swung from one compartment to the other with rotation of the shaft, whereby a roll of toilet paper carried by one of the carriers can be moved into the compartment having the opening therein with movement of the shaft, means operable from outside the container for moving the shaft, and a door giving access to the closed compartment to permit the insertion of a fresh roll of toilet paper on the carrier positioned therein.

4. A dispenser for toilet paper comprising, a generally rectangular container having a pair of compartments therein, each of said compartments being of suflicient size to receive a roll of toilet paper, one of said compartments being closed and the other having an open bottom, a shaft rotatably mounted in the container and extending transversely thereof between the compartments, a pair of toilet paper roll carriers mounted on the shaft and extending substantially normally thereof to be swung from one compartment to the other with rotation of the shaft, means for retaining the carriers in position and means accessible from outside the container to release the retaining means to permit rotation of the shaft whereby a roll of toilet paper carried by one of the carriers can be moved into the compartment having the opening therein with movement of the shaft, and means operable from outside the container for moving the shaft.

5. A dispenser for toilet paper comprising, a generally rectangular container having a pair of compartments therein, each of said compartments being of sufficient size to receive a roll of toilet paper, one of said compartments being closed and the other having an open bottom, a shaft rotatably mounted in the container and extending transversely thereof between the compartments, a pair of toilet paper roll carriers mounted on the shaft and extending substantially normally thereof to be swung from one compartment to the other with rotation of the shaft, means for retaining the carriers in position and means accessible from outside the container to release the retaining means to permit rotation of the shaft whereby a roll of toilet paper carried by oneof the carriers can be moved into the compartment having the opening therein with movement of the shaft, means operable from outside the container for moving the shaft, a door giving access to the closed compartment to permit the insertion of a fresh roll of toilet paper on the carrier positioned therein, and a slit in the bottom of the closed compartment positioned in the plane of rotation of the carriers to permit an emptied carrier to move from dispensing position in the open compartment through said slit into receiving position in the closed compartment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1933 Fairchild 242-553 6/1950 Agamaite 24255.3 

1. A DISPENSER FOR TOILET PAPER COMPRISING, A CONTAINER HAVING A PAIR OF COMPARTMENTS THEREIN EACH OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO RECEIVE A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER, ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO PERMIT WITHDRAWAL OF TOILET PAPER THEREFROM, A SHAFT MOVABLY MOUNTED IN THE CONTAINER, A PAIR OF TOILET PAPER ROLL CARRIERS CONNECTED TO THE SHAFT AND ARRANGED TO BE MOVED FROM ONE COMPARTMENT TO THE OTHER WITH MOVEMENT OF THE SHAFT WHEREBY A ROLL OF TOILET PAPER CARRIED BY ONE OOF THE CARRIERS CAN BE MOVED INTO THE COMPARTMENT HAVING THE OPENING THEREIN WITH MOVEMENT OF THE SHAFT, AND MEANS OPERABLE FROM OUTSIDE THE CONTAINER FOR MOVING THE SHAFT. 